Judge declines to overturn Skilling convictions

[JURIST] A federal judge in Houston denied a motion Tuesday from former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling [Houston Chronicle profile] that would have overturned his conviction [JURIST report] on 19 out of 28 securities and wire fraud and insider trading counts [verdict slip, PDF] because of insufficient evidence. US District Judge Sim Lake [official profile], however, has yet to rule on a defense motion to give Skilling access to $60 million in frozen assets. Skilling's lawyers are requesting that the court hold a bench trial on the issue, arguing that because Skilling was acquitted on nine of 10 insider trading charges, the frozen assets comprise legal stock sales and should be released.

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